The RBTL franchise is currently paying for an ad (propaganda) filled with inaccurate information about Parcel 5 and the Morgan proposal. If you see it, question it. Don’t take these things at face value. It’s all manufactured vibrancy in an attempt to convince you that a high-risk theater project is the key to downtown’s revitalization.

Ok, but what changes? We already have theaters downtown. Are we filling them? Do we really need another one down the street from the current one pictured here? We already have an abundance of housing downtown. Does it need to be in a casino-style luxury tower at Parcel 5? We already have an abundance of empty retail space around Midtown. Do we really need more?

This is not a statement against progress. I do want to see this city thrive. But this is about doing so systematically and in a way that prioritizes the people that live here over special interests. It’s about an incremental approach and taking the right risks at the right time. It’s about asking the people what they want to see this city become and how we can get there together rather than top down development that ignores the community at large.⠀We have a beautiful, historic Auditorium Theater already on Main St that hosts Broadway productions, including Hamilton this year. What happens to this theater if a new one is built? Could we invest millions less and make this one great? With so many businesses already nearby (Village Gate) and the fact that it is in Neighborhood of the Arts, why not work to improve the theater and the connectivity in that neighborhood? The East Main Arts and Market Initiative put out by the City was created to do this. Read it, you'll agree (link in bio). Is this still a priority for the City? It's some of the best work that I've seen come out of City Hall. It could really help that area and improve connectivity between the Northeast and Southeast neighborhoods.⠀Hurting one area to attempt to help another is a net zero move for our city. Why spend $135 million to keep a status quo?⠀#OurParcel5#explorerochester

Spent the past week going from Rochester > Durham, NC > RVA > DC > Wilmington, DE > ROC. Grateful for the opportunity to see old friends, new friends and meet others in cities I’ve both been to before and cities that I got to explore for the first time. Still overwhelmed (in the best way possible) from yesterday’s meetup with @walkwithlocals, @202filmcollective and @kodakcameraclub_roc. Such an amazing community of people that showed up at 8am in the rain to take photos and shoot film. As much as I love cities and visiting places, this trip reinforced that it’s truly the people that make the place. I’m currently at a rest stop and Google Maps keeps telling me to turn left so I’m gonna do that. See you soon, Rochester! 👋 #walkwithlocals

Tuesday is the monthly Speak to City Council opportunity for those of you reading this that live in Rochester. For those of you that don’t live here, I encourage you to find out when your city/town has an opportunity for something similar. Even if you don’t go to speak, go to observe. Be informed of what others in your community care about, what their concerns are and what ideas they have to make it better. In this current political environment, it’s easy to be discouraged. It’s easy to think any effort is futile. But local matters so much. It’s where a collective voice can make a real impact. It takes work. It takes effort. It takes a village. But you can help make a difference.⠀So for those here in Rochester, I encourage you to join the many that attend on Tuesday from 6:30p-7:30p. Sign up to speak or if you just want to observe, send an email to city councilmembers and the mayor separately. How? Check the link in my bio: https://facebook.com/events/146464122827223⠀#OurParcel5#explorerochester